Dom Fond Crozes 2022 "Vieux Ceps de Raymond" CdR Villages

The Wine

"All Carignan, the 2022 Côtes Du Rhône Villages Vaison-La-Romaine Les Vieux Ceps De Raymond has a beautiful, elegant style in its darker black cherries, leather, peppery herbs, and violet-like aromas and flavors. This textured, medium-bodied, seamless Carignan is perfect for drinking over the coming 4-6 years." - Jeb Dunnuck 10/23

The Winery

A 'North Face' is popular among skiers of North American slopes because they're shielded from the sun so the snow remains more pristine. But grape growers boast about southern exposures because, historically, the sun has been key to ripening wines.

But...

In regions impacted by climate change such as the Southern Rhone Valley, North-facing slopes are becoming a “thing”  as it's now a bit too warm for some of the South-facing sites!

Geek Out With Me

If you'd like to learn why this is true, bear with me for just one more minute, I promise.

In the Rhône Valley, a "North Face" vineyard will see WIND. You know...the famous, straight-outta-Alpine "mistral" wind that cools the vines with cold mountain air at speeds up to 75 MPH for up to 100 days a year.

In addition, vines in this environment will see less solar intensity and fewer hours of sun per day so a vigneron can bring grapes to full physiological maturity ('phenolic ripeness') at the same time sugars reach the appropriate levels. It's the sugars that determine alcohol level and phenolic ripeness that establishes a wines complexity and distinctive typicity.

You won't just taste the difference these long hang times contribute, you can also smell it and feel it!

This is the part where I get introduce the humble, fourth-generation-winegrower, Guillaume Long - the mind behind this wine. His aim is to showcase how distinctive Syrah ('Shyrus') and Carignan Vieux ('Ceps de Raymond') can be when grown in his "North Face" vineyards. The third wine, 'Mozaik' is a blend of his Syrah and Carignan with some of his Grenache blended in as well.